Is 0 an Octal or Decimal Literal in C ?

Octal or Decimal: Unveiling the Nature of 0 in C

In the realm of programming, the representation of literal integers holds significance. While it may seem inconsequential that zero is always zero, a recent discussion sparked a question: should 0 be classified as a decimal literal or an octal literal?

Unveiling the C Standard

To address this question, we delve into the heart of the C language standard. According to Section 2.14.2 [lex.icon], an integer literal can be categorized as decimal, octal, or hexadecimal based on its syntax.

Specifically, the standard defines an octal literal as:

The Verdict: Octal or Decimal?

This definition unequivocally states that 0 qualifies as an octal literal. The standard has made its stance clear: in the absence of any other prefixes or suffixes, 0 is to be interpreted as an octal literal in C .

Historical Context

The prevalence of octal literals in early computing was influenced by the dominance of 8-bit architectures. Today, however, with the widespread adoption of 32-bit and 64-bit architectures, decimal literals have become far more common.

Nonetheless, the standard's recognition of octal literals serves as a reminder of the legacy of early computing and provides compatibility with older codebases.

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